The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-12
MRS. POTTER'S NEW PLAY.
What Olive Logan Thinks or It.
(CODUyiObted)

(Copyrfghted9
LONDON, Aug. 25.-I have seen Mrs
James Brown Potter in her new play, enti-
tied Loyal Love" Should you be good
enough to ask me what think of her will
be good enough to reply that l think she is
pretty woman with fine clothes on. As
to her acting cannot conscientiously speak
in terms Of admiration of it, for although
it shows considerable improvement upon
her former efforts it is still that of the novice
in the path histrionic. Outstanding and in
entire repose | consider this Southern lady
to be witchingly lovely creature. There
is an unusual mingling of the ingenious
girl and the naughty woman in her bearing,
which endows her with a charm most diffi-
cult to define in words, but keenly felt in
personal relation. She looks the patrician,
every inch of her; and there are a good
many inches in that form of hers. divinely
tall as that of Juno. Loyal Love" is one
more effort ON the part of an English dra-
matist to adapt to our stage the first Portu-
guese tragedy ever penned-Antonio Fer
reira's "Inez dc Castro.n Seventeen years
ago an authoress, writing under the pen
name of Ross Neil, gave to print version
of the lugubrious Portuguese play, which
she called "The Bride of Portugal" 1t is
this literary effusion which Mrs. Brown
third essay for recognition as q star actress
| am sure the composition will find no favor
in America, for more pompous piece of
fustian it would be difficult to disinter from
out the crowded vaults of dead and buried
dramas
The requirements of the story demand
shrieks, arms wildly waved, false suicide by
poisoning la Juliet. dying and coming to
life, kissing the lover and cursing the tyrant,
a nd of hnF Intn 81 "a
thunder. How does Mrs Brown Potter
stand the brunt of all these cruel conven-
tionalisms, so dangerously near the border
line OF burlesque! OF verify, but indif-
ferent well. Her gestures are ungraceful
to the eye, her wall of woe rings false upon
the ear; even her love-making with Kyrle
Bellew, which was so pretty in Faustine,
because so reserved and proud, is not so
agreeable in this Portuguese heroine, who
filings herself like missile from catapult
into the arms of her lover every time he
ventures TO look her way The dialogue
demands this, and it Is very unkInd of the
dialogue. It robs Mrs Brown Potter of her
most potent charm, her patrician hauteur
holding in check her impetuous love.
Yet, who can hope to make the lady be-
lieve herself in any matter whatsoever at
fault when an aristocratic following APP
plauds her every effort, and the tone of
London society Is to admit no sound save
that of praise of the new beauty-actress
from the Southern landa On the night I
attended at the Gaiety to see loyal Love. y
the Duchess of Edinburgh was present, at
tended by Gen. Lord Wolseley. These
grarads de ia terre appeared enraptured
with the performance of Mrs. Potter, and
when the final call brought the new actress
before the curtain, the beauty lady was OBJ
served to nod to the daughter of all the
Russias in the easy manner Of one privileged
by personal acquaintance to make the re-
cognition Of the imperial patrons presence.
OLIVE LOGAN.